RACC Blog

By Heather Morrill, The Giving Tree NW

For eight weeks, beginning September 2016, two groups of residents living in affordable housing took part in The Giving Tree’s Art Explorations. These class sessions, brought directly on-site to the community rooms at Alder House Apartments and Station Place Tower, were funded in part by an Arts Equity Grant from the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC).

The Giving Tree NW provides opportunities for residents living in affordable housing to gather together as a community, and improve their quality of life, through art, education and recreation. Participants are seniors, veterans, people with mental illnesses, physical limitations, developmental disabilities and/or recovering from addictions, all united by low or fixed incomes. They are also artists, makers, musicians, writers, dreamers and doers.

Art Explorations breaks isolation and brings diverse individuals together to share a new experience. These classes are a chance for participants to build community, utilize art as a means of communication, and tap wells of strength and creativity that had been previously hidden.

RACC funding helped expand The Giving Tree’s existing 6-session Art Explorations curriculum by two sessions to include self-portrait work, to deepen lessons in self-expression, and see all the unique beauty each one of us offers. Artist and Art Instructor Suki Allen Olson, of Bird’s Eye View Studio, taught the eighth class session of the series, a self-portrait in ink. Taking a class at Suki’s studio captivated participants, expanding their technical skills and knowledge of working artists in the community.

J. King, an artist and affordable housing resident who completed Art Explorations on October 19th, is a shining example of the change engaging undeserved communities in art making can bring about.

“I suffer from a traumatic brain injury,” says King, “and expressing myself through art helps with my memory, thought patterns, ideas, and gives me something positive to do. A year and a half ago I was homeless (for 9 years, on the streets of Portland). I believe that Art Explorations has tapped a vein in me to express myself more through art, to participate in group art shows and try to make a name for myself and my work.”

With co-hosts Innovative Housing, Inc. and Erickson Gallery, The Giving Tree NW will display artwork created in 2016 during Art Explorations at Erickson Gallery, 9 NW 2nd Ave., for the month of November.

The celebratory First Thursday opening on November 3rd, 2016 from 5-7 p.m. will give the greater community of Portland an opportunity to see creative expressions that are usually invisible. It will give a creative voice to an under represented portion of our population, broadening our entire creative community and showing the impact and role of art in the goal of creating diverse, equitable communities.

RACC Arts Equity Grants provide financial support to organizations in Multnomah County and the City of Portland conducting arts and culture projects and programming for communities of color, immigrants, refugees, underserved neighborhoods, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ communities, and other under-represented communities. These grants help further RACC’s commitment to ensuring that everyone in our region has equal access to arts and the fundamental right to express their culture through the arts. A listing of other Arts Equity grantees for 2016-17 is available online. Arts Equity Grant applications will be available again in early 2017, and RACC anticipates the deadline will be in late February. Watch racc.org and Art Notes for further information.

By Sara Farrokhzadian

Summer time is project grant season at RACC and staff is spreading the word about the upcoming “Intent to Apply” deadline on August 3, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. This year $650,000 in funding is available for artistic projects and events that are scheduled to take place in calendar year 2017. Project grant awards range from $1,000 to $7,000 each.

RACC encourages individual artists and nonprofit organizations in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties to apply.  Successful proposals will involve the creation or presentation of a performance, exhibit, or other work of art that is available to the general public sometime in 2017. There are two categories of project grants: Artistic Focus and Community Participation & Access. For more information on project grant guidelines, please visit racc.culturegrants.org.

RACC project grants support artistic projects in our community

RACC funded 131 project grants for 2016, , supporting a wide range of projects in a variety of disciplines including literature, media arts, dance, multi-discipline and social practice. This funding has provided important opportunities for artists and our community.

Fumi’s Floral Shoppe

Chris Parkhurst, a Portland media artist, received a RACC project grant to film a short documentary about 93 year old Fumi Itatmi and the flower shop she and her family have operated in Portland for the last 70 years. Fumi’s Floral Shoppe depicts Portland’s history and transformation through the challenges and change Fumi and her flower shop experienced, including Fumi’s forced placement in an internment camp during World War II. For Parkhurst, the film tells a powerful story of five generations of Japanese women keeping their family and community connected through their flower shop. The film presents the audience with real and tangible experiences from our collective history in Portland.

For Parkhurst, the RACC project grant award has had a huge impact on his art making. “RACC project grant funding allows me to practice my passion of documentary films,” Parkhurst said. Parkhurst has been making documentary film since 2004 and, like many other artists he knows, does not make his living through documentary film making. “I encourage every artist I know who has a project they feel strongly about to apply for the RACC grant,” Parkhurst explained. “Even more than that, if they don’t receive a grant the first time out to make sure to apply again during the next cycle and not to give up.”

Fumi’s Flora Shoppe will premiere in fall 2016.

Artosaur

Christine Martell, a visual artist based in Hillsboro, received a Community Participation & Access project grant for her Artosaur Project in 2016. The Artosaur, a robotic dinosaur sculpture, is an arts advocate and educator with a mission to show us that art is everywhere. The project took the Artosaur out into the community to hold art making experiences for the public at library events. These art making experiences incorporated a technology component ranging in complexity from simple folding to create book marks with small children to building LED lit vibrating bugs with older children. Martell held all six of her events in Washington County and reached more than 1,800 participants. Martell also incorporated youth volunteers from the Youth Advisory Council to assist with facilitating the events increasing the community reach of her project.

The RACC project grant was instrumental for Martell and her work. “Through the project grant I am reaching very, very different communities than I have in the past.” Martell said. “I used to hold shows in galleries, but through Artosaur, I embed myself where the population is.”

Through the project grant, Martell feels supported as a community based artist. “RACC not only understands community based art, but RACC funds it as well,” she says. Although Martell has completed her RACC-funded project, she has already begun building on her project grant work. Martell and the Artosaur will hold a weekly pop up makerspace at the Tuesday Night Market in Hillsboro this summer.

How to apply

A great first step in the application process is reading the eligibility guidelines available online at racc.culturegrants.org. This will give applicants an opportunity to determine whether they are eligible for a project grant.

Applicants will submit an “Intent to Apply” form online by Wednesday, August 3, 2016 by 5:00 p.m. through racc.culturegrants.org. First time applicants will need to create a new account through the sign up feature and will be able to access the project grant guidelines and forms. The “Intent to Apply” is a simple form that helps to determine basic eligibility before applicants are invited to submit a full proposal.

All applicants will be notified by email within a few days whether they are invited to submit a full proposal, due August 17, 2016 by 5:00 p.m.

Eligible proposals will be grouped by discipline and adjudicated by a panel of community volunteers who have interest and experience in arts and culture programming. For a listing of project grant awards in 2016, visit racc.org/grants.

Awards will be announced in late December.

RACC staff is there to help

RACC staff are committed to making the grants program accessible to all applicants and to support candidates through the application process. Grants staff Helen Daltoso, Ingrid Carlson and Quinn MacNichol are available to assist applicants in a variety of ways.

RACC will host free orientation sessions in July, walking applicants through the guidelines and the process of submitting a competitive application. Applicants can meet grant staff and will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Free Grant Orientations:

Thurs, July 7| 9:00-11:00am
RACC Office (411 NW Park Ave #101 in Portland)
for Nonprofit Organizations

Tues, July 12 | 5:30-7:00pm
North Portland Library (512 N Killingsworth St in Portland)
for All Applicants

Tues, July 19 | 5:30-7:00pm
RACC Office (411 NW Park Ave #101 in Portland)
for Individual Artists

Wed, July 20 | 3:00-5:00pm
RACC Office (411 NW Park Ave #101 in Portland)
for Nonprofit Organizations

Thurs July 21 | 5:30-7:00pm
East Portland Neighborhood Office (1017 NE 117^th Ave in Portland)
for All Applicants

Tues, July 26 | 9:00-11:00am
RACC Office (411 NW Park Ave #101 in Portland)
for Individual Artists

If you plan to attend you can register at
https://regionalarts.wufoo.com/forms/2017-project-grant-orientation-registration/

RACC also has a series of online video tutorials that can help guide applicants through the application process—available at http://bit.ly/1l6zBfd.

Parkhurst has noticed RACC’s focus on accessibility. “There are increased resources that are readily available,” said Parkhurst. During his application process, Parkhurst found it helpful to ask questions. “Part of what is instrumental is to ask questions,” he said. “It encourages dialogue between the applicant and the program.”

Martell, a first time project grant recipient, found the orientation sessions provided practical information on how to approach the application. She also submitted her grant application early enough to arrange for staff feedback on her proposal. Her advice to applicants is: “Do everything – attend the orientations, ask questions, and submit your proposal early and get feedback.” Martell feels that the project grant application process she has given her a better understanding of how to obtain funding that will help her as she moves forward.

RACC staff emphasizes that they want to make themselves available to support applicants. If applicants cannot attend the information sessions, have questions, or would like one-on-one support, they can call or email grant staff for assistance. First time applicants should contact Ingrid Carlson at 503-823-5417 or icarlson@racc.org, and returning applicants should contact Helen Daltoso at 503-823-5402 or hdaltoso@racc.org.

RACC also provides technical and translation assistance for applicants who require it. RACC can help with computer access issues and will translate application materials and provide over-the-phone interpretation services when needed. Applicants can contact Quinn MacNichol at 503-823-2928 or qmacnichol@racc.org for technical assistance.

Guidelines and “Intent to Apply” forms are now available at racc.culturegrants.org.

The RACC Professional Development Grant Program individual artists and arts organizations in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties with activities that improve their business management development skills and/or brings to them to another level artistically. A total of $44,905 was awarded to 35 individuals and 3 organizations. These grants were approved by the RACC Board on May 25, 2016:

* First Time Professional Development Grant Recipient

Except where noted, recipients are from Multnomah County

Individuals

*Amorin, Dominic – Travel to San Francisco to attend and exhibit at SoundWave Biennial – $400

*Barrera, Claire – Travel to dance residency in Stolzenhagen, German – $1,400

*Barrett, Eowyn – Travel to present work at the Edinburgh Fridge Festival – $1,250

*Bombardier, Cooper Lee – Attend Lambda Literary Emerging Writers Workshop in San Francisco – $1,200

*Bund, Wayne – Attend Lambda Literary Emerging Writers Workshop in San Francisco – $1,200

Campbell, Carolyn – Mentorship in visual editing software with Kathryn Delany and Susan Bein – $1,250

Chilstrom, Robin – Attend Circlesongs vocal improvisation workshop in Rhinecliff, NY – $1,500

Davis, Quincy – Attend an artist residency at The Organic Art Ranch in Cluj-Napoca, Romani – $1,500

*Dieng, Modou – Attend residency at Pulsar, a gallery in Antwerp, Belgium – $1,500

Farrell–Smith, Ka’ila – Attend Djerassi residency program in Woodside, CA – $800

Fuemmeler, Tony – Travel to attend academy with Familie Flöz in Tuscania, Italy – $1,500

*George, Christy – Attend ArtCOP22 event in Marrakech, Morocco – $1,500

*Gray, Lucas – Development of an artist website – $1,250

*Griffin Hébert , Paloma – Attend masterclasses and workshops with violinist Simon Fischer in Ann Arbor, Michigan – $1,000

*Hannegan, Karen – Travel to monastery in Pecos, New Mexico to study retablo painting with master teachers – $1,000

*Hoyman-Browe, Alanna – Attend 10-day workshop with Dance Exchange in Washington, DC – $800

*Hunter-Ishikawa, Eien – Travel to Tokyo, Japan to study Edo Bayashi with master musician Kyosuke Suzuki – $1,500

*Iaboni, Stefano – Travel to Oxford, England to work with mentor and coach Joe Dieffenbacher – $1,500

*Lantz, Ruth – Shipping of work for show at Governors State University in University Park, IL and travel to attend opening – $900

*LaPrade, Jessica – Attend five day intensive painting workshop on Mischtechnik in Loveland, Colorado – $900

Lin, Fuchsia – Work with consultant Morrie Warshawski on values, vision, marketing, and fundraising – $650

*Marlitt, Michael – Attend “Advanced Photo Workshop: New York City” in New York, NY – $1,500

*Martin, Chas – Study with glass artists Marjorie Anderson in Denver, CO – $1,500

*Mavor, Anne – Work with artist coach Gigi Rosenberg – $600

*Neuenschwander, Ronna – Produce a catalog of recent work – $1,000

*Padian, Brian – Attend the Fall Narrative Lab at Stowe Story Lab in Stowe, VT – $750

Perini, Julie – Attend Signal Culture Residency, present work at NY State Summer School for the Arts, and participate in the NY Arts Practicum in NY – $1,100

*Rudolph, Shelly – Update artist website, rebranding, and creation of print promotional materials – $1,750

*Salazar, Souther – Travel to present work at the John Michael Kohler Art Center in Sheboygan, WI and the creation of displays – $1,500

Stolowitz, Andrea – Travel to Berlin, Germany to attend casting and opening of premiere production of new play at English Theatre Berlin – $1,250

Stoner, Deb – Attend the Medium Photography Festival Review and Lecture Series in San Diego, CA – $1,500 (Clackamas County)

*Westby, Denise – Travel to New York, NY to study with master flutist Keith Underwood – $1,500 (Washington County)

*Whitten, John – Travel to Colorado River Basin to participate in Signal Fire retreat – $800

*Williams, Gina – Participate in photography software class at Newspace and portfolio review with photographer Geoffrey Hiller – $460 (Clackamas County)

*Wren Stottrup, Jeni – Attend Podcast Movement conference in Chicago, IL – $1,000

Organizations

MediaRites – Travel for five company members to attend National Asian American Theater Conference & Festival hosted by OSF in Ashland – $2,000

*Newspace Center for Photography – Travel for curator Yaelle Amir to attend FOCUS Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada – $1,000

*Portland Storytellers’ Guild – Upgrades of organizational website – $1,195 (Washington County)